Ardent Confessions
by Lyrical Rex
Summary: [RyouBakura] They finally get together in the end... right? Part III of Confessions sequence.


**_Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh_**

Ardent Confessions

So I've finally gotten around to posting this up. I've had it written for a while, and I asked Obscured Illusions to beta it a few months ago... but that didn'r really happen. Did she disappear? She hasn't posted anything up in forever, and she didn't reply to my last email... (sobs a little) Anyways. I'm looking into getting beta-readers for some of my future RyouxBakura fics. Anyone willing?

About the story: I don't really like it. It's just something to tie up the loose ends of the Confessions sequence. I'm glad I'm finally done with it-.-; The background poem is crap too. Whatever.

_**Ardent Confessions**_

_"Don't give up no matter what. The heart knows more than the head."_ -Anonymous

"Yuugi, my Yami doesn't love me." It's not surprising that I chose Yuugi's shoulder to cry on. He's the only person I know who would know even vaguely what is going on with me, or at least understands my disposition slightly. After all, he does have a Yami of his own, right?

"Are you sure, Ryou? He's sure protective of you. I certainly think he does." What does _he_ know? His Yami isn't Bakura. His Yami is, well... Yami.

"Of course I'm sure! He's my Yami! He thinks of me only as property." I sob into Yuugi's uniform. Of course he's wearing a school uniform on a weekend. Totally non suspicious, but that aside...

((Aishiteru, Aishiteru, Aishiteru))

"Malik, I don't know what to do. My Yadounshi dreams of him, murmurs his name in his sleep. His heart is breaking. I can see it." My heart is breaking as well, I couldn't help adding, having to witness this, and not... not...

"Bakura, are you sure Ryou dreams of that damn Pharoah?" Malik asks. If he were here, I'd slap him and yell, of course! Could you not see the signs! Then again, we're oceans apart; he's in Egypt, remember? And I'm in my house. Or, Ryou's house really. My Yad- Hikari's house.

"Of course I am," I growl into the phone. "He talks in his sleep."

"And why weren't you sleeping?" the Egyptian pressed.

"Because... I was... Oh Ra, I was watching him sleep, alright!" I yelled.

"Now you're contradicting yourself. You said you were trying hard _not_ to look at him, but you said you were watching him while he slept. You're contradicting yourself." The Egyptian paused to hear my response.

"NO I'M NOT!"

"Yeah... right." Malik's thoughtful silence after this sarcasm didn't help my mood. "I think you should just go ask him straight out if he likes Yami. After all, you know, he could be talking about something else."

"What do you mean something else? Yami is the only person named Yami that I know!" I sighed depressingly, flopping down onto my couch. Of course Ryou loves someone else, baka Malik! How could he love me?

"Let me remind you that Yami is the word for darkness, so he could've been talking about you." I snorted at this remark. Ryou, calling my name in his sleep. What a riot.

"You know what Malik? You're not helping anything."

"I'm not?" Malik sounded genuinely surprised and hurt. Who cares?

"Yeah, you're not. I'm just taking a walk, alright?" With that, I violently slammed the phone. Why'd I go to Malik? It's not like he knows anything.

((I love you, I love you, I love you))

God, I'm so depressed. Bakura... thinks of me as property. Did I mention that? "Ryou, it could be worse. He could actually hate you."

"He does," I mumble. I think I liked talking to Malik better than Yuugi. If I wanted Malik to shut up, all I had to do was hang up the phone. With Yuugi, he'd just keep following me around until he gets his point across.

And I think he has.

"Does he know what you feel for him?" Yuugi asks.

"No, only you and Malik know." My eyes are probably all red from crying. They feel sore, at least. So does my throat.

"You should tell him," Yuugi states.

I stare at him in shock. "How the... he HATES me! How am I supposed to tell him that I love him!"

Yuugi looks me over. "You know, you're very depressing. Think positive!"

I snort. "Think positive? Yeah, right."

"Hey, you know what, Ryou? It's my shift now, so..." Yuugi drifts off, looking at me.

"Oh, it's alright. Just leave me alone to cope by myself," I groan.

"No, Yami's going to come up and talk to you, alright?" Yuugi asks, panicked.

"I wasn't being sarcastic," I growl.

Yuugi relaxes, shrugging. "Oh well. Yami's going to come talk to you anyways."

((It's just the way you make me feel))

Oh great. Now I have to walk around by myself. Malik is actually my only friend, the closest person to me besides Ryou. Then again, he probably knows more about me that Ryou does. For example, the fact of my undying love for the tenshi. But why does it seem like he's holding back on me?

My feet guide their way to where I feel Ryou. I don't even have to open my eyes to see where I'm going, as long as it's towards Ryou. Until, of course, I run smack dab into a door.

"Ouch." I rub my forehead slightly as I stare up dazedly at the door I'm at. Kame Gameshop. Great.

Oh look, there's the Pharoah's brat, opening the door for me. "Konnichiwa, Bakura. Looking for Ryou?"

I don't nod, but don't give a no either. Instead, I counter with, "Is that Pharaoh here?"

"Of course he is. He's upstairs with Ryou." Yuugi says this, peering anxiously up at me. As to the reasoning for this, I have no clue. Maybe whatever the Pharaoh is doing with my tenshi is making Yuugi jealous?

Hah, like I care. As long as Ryou's happy.

I give Yuugi a twisted smirk. "I'll be leaving now. Ja ne."

As long as Ryou's happy, I'll force my legs to walk the opposite direction and ignore the feeling in my heart.

((But I can't show it))

"Ryou, what's wrong?" The weight of the bed shifts as a body weight is pressed on it. From the deep tone of the voice, I can tell it's Yami.

"Katakoi," I replied sickly. "Unrequited love, Yami."

"Who do you love?" Yami asked me.

"My Yami," I muttered into the bed. "My Yami, who hates me."

"What are you talking about?" the spiky haired pharaoh asked. "He doesn't hate you. Compassion is written all over his face when he sees you."

"Well, he doesn't love me in the way I want." I bury my face in the folds of the bed's covers. "It's breaking me slowly. He thinks of me as his brother or something, and it hurts that... that he can't feel the same way about me."

Yami pats my back awkwardly. We sit there for a bit, my face buried in the blankets and his hand resting on my back. The phone rings, making Yami jump, but I am far too down to care.

"Moshi moshi?" Yami answers the call. The sounds are all making my head spin. Stop it... "Ishtahl..." he growls. He listens a bit. "Hai, he's right here. Oi, Ryou!" Those last words are obviously directed at me. I raise an eyebrow at him. "Malik wants a talk." He tosses the cordless phone at me, me barely catching.

"Hai?" I question.

"I'm an idiot! A pure noodle headed baka! I can't believe myself! Arghh!"

"Um... mind telling me what's going on, Malik?" I jut in.

"Oh." Malik takes a breath, calming himself down, hopefully. "I lied to you and Bakura! I should have told, I should've!" There is a slam on something hard on the other line. "Ryou, Bakura's ready to give up on you. He think's you love Yami, and since you're in the same room as him, Bakura is sure to think that you two have gotten together."

"WHAT!" I yelp, glancing, terrified, at the spirit in the room.

"It's true! He told me it all earlier. He loves you, Ryou! He loves you!" Malik breaks down crying hysterically. I am lost as to how to comfort my Egyptian friend. "Ryou, tell him you love him too." There is a click and a blank tone.

Staring at the phone, I know what I'm going to do. "Yami, I think I'm going to ..."

"Go," Yami cuts in. I look into his eyes gratefully before taking off.

((I let it hide in it, let myself die in it))

I heave a sigh, kicking another soda can in the streets, focusing my energy on making myself walk away from Ryou's warm energy. Ryou's happy now, I tell myself. Ryou doesn't need me at all, as long as he has his "Yami." Something comes back to me from my conversation with Malik.

_"Yami is the word for darkness, so he could've be talking about you."_

Just thinking those words lift my heart a little, but I squash the feeling down. No, without doubt, he wanted Yami. Now he has Yami. Why won't he leave me alone?

Why do I suddenly feel warmer, as if I'm walking back towards Ryou?

"YAMI!" someone yells behind me.

((Anyone can make a mistake))

"YAMI!" I yell again. He doesn't stop. In fact, he speeds up. I knew it. He hates me. Sighing, I slow my pace to a walk. Just as he gets out of earshot, I yell out to him. "Kappamonagare!" _Anyone can make a mistake!_

((But one this big?))

"So are you apologizing?" I yell back, without turning around. Our thoughts are not linked, so I cannot tell him in the mind. So I turn around to face him, a fleering expression on my face. I take steps toward him, and he towards me. "Why? I should be the one on my knees _begging _for your forgiveness! I'm the baka who fell in love with someone who hates me!" What are those in his eyes... tears?

"I don't hate you," he whispers hoarsely. Ryou runs to me, gripping my waist tightly and crying into my pinstriped shirt. "I... Aishiteru."

I stiffen. Yami must've hurt him. I'll kill that man! But... I'm Ryou's fall back love, right? I feel guilty as I wrap my arms around him tenatively. He doesn't really want me all that badly. "Ryou..."

"Aishiteru!"

((Don't forgive me, I know I was wrong))

He doesn't believe me. I can tell. "Aishiteru, Yami! Aishiteru, Aishiteru, Aishiteru," I sob into his shirt. "Ai..." Great. My voice gives out on me now. Now, of all times. I look up at his face, still shocked. "You," I whisper. "You, only you, Yami." With that, I go on my tip toes and softly press my lips to his.

((But I'll do everything to fix it))

The kiss makes me feel so warm, I don't want to stop even as we part.

"Ryou, I'm not... I'm not a replacement, am I?" I whisper, afraid to hear the answer.

"No, never." His voice is hoarse from crying. "Go ask Yuugi or Yami or Malik or anyone... I love you. Only you..."

I believe him.

((I'll love you for the rest of your life))

(((((((Owari))))))))))


End file.
